Policy Updates

On November 10, 2023, the BMZ announced that it will allocate an additional EUR62 million (US$66 million) to Mauritania to support the costs of receiving and integrating refugees from Mali, following a bilateral agreement with Jordan tackling refugee costs on November 6, 2023.

Germany and Mauritania agreed on a set of measures to help receive and integrate refugees, including employment creation, professional training, and renewable energy. German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze travelled to Nouakchott to strengthen cooperation with Mauritania. Following a wave of violence in neighboring Mali, Mauritania received more than 100,000 refugees and has made efforts to rapidly integrate refugees into its social security systems.

Previously, Schulze committed to supporting refugees in Jordan with a pledge of EUR41 million (US$44 million), in addition to a EUR125 million (US$134 million) loan for water security, which is critical in the region. Almost half of the population in Jordan has migratory ties. Schulze acknowledged Jordan's role as a mediator maintaining peace in the region.

The agreements were concluded against a backdrop of increasingly heated debates in Germany on migration and proposals for tighter asylum regulations. Schulze noted that development cooperation institutions are tasked with combating the root causes for migration.